* .3  ,s  / 


Var*  W.w, 


Association  Meetings 

By  Oolooah  Burner 


Association  Meetings 

By  Oolooah  Burner 

National  Secretary  for  Colleges 


Published  by 

National  Board 

of  the  Young  Women’s  Christian  Associations 

600  Lexington  Avenue,  New  York  City 

1916 


It  is  suggested  that  this  leaflet  on  Association  Meetings 
might  well  be  put  into  the  hands  of  those  asked  to  lead  such 
meetings,  as  a part  of  their  preparation.  Additional  copies 
may  be  ordered  from  the  National  Board.  See  last  cover. 


Association  Meetings 

By  Oolooah  Burner 

“After  some  days  he  entered  into  Capernaum,  and  it  soon 
became  known  that  he  was  at  home;  and  such  numbers  of 
people  came  together  that  there  was  no  longer  room  for 
them  even  around  the  door.  He  was  speaking  his  message  to 
them.”  Mark  2:1-2. 

Is  the  message  of  Jesus  Christ  any  less  powerful  to-day 
than  it  was  then? 

What  did  He  talk  about  save  living  every-day  life  with 
God  at  the  heart  of  it?  Were  people  so  hungry  to  hear  that? 
Are  they  different  to-day? 

What  is  the  business  of  the  meetings  of  a student  Chris- 
tian Association  to-day  save  to  do  the  same  kind  of  thing 
He  did?  Failing  in  that  they  ought  not  to  be. 

If  they  are  a regular  part  of  the  program  of  an  or- 
ganization existing  for  a specific  purpose,  then  every  meet- 
ing ought  to  forge  toward  making  that  purpose  a fact  in- 
stead of  words.  There  is  no  other  excuse  for  their  exist- 
ence. The  mere  fact  that  “there  always  have  been  meetings” 
is  no  reason  for  continuing  to  have  them. 

The  whole  Association  is  constructed  for  the  purpose  of 
moving  a body  of  people  in  experience  from  one  point  to  an- 
other, from  self-centered  existing  to  God-centered  living. 
Therefore,  the  meetings  of  the  Association  must  actually 
move  in  that  direction. 

If  in  a large  group  organized  to  accomplish  something,  it 
is  necessary,  or  even  worth  while,  to  gather  regularly  to 

3 


think  of  the  things  the  group  is  working  for;  if  gripping 
the  truth  at  the  foundation  of  the  work  leads  into  a new 
sureness  of  attack  and  new  methods;  if  companionship  in 
such  thinking  generates  new  courage,  new  enthusiasm,  new 
strength,  then  regular  meetings  are  a vital  part  of  a work- 
ing organization. 

Since  the  purpose  of  the  student  Association  is  to  bring 
the  kingdom  of  righteousness  into  the  very  life  of  the  cam- 
pus until  every  student  there  is  living  a student’s  Christ- 
like  life,  the  challenge  through  the  public  meetings  dare  be 
nothing  less  than  tremendous. 

What  is  the  actual  work  of  that  group  of  girls  set  apart 
for  the  distinct  purpose  of  seeing  that  the  meetings  do 
things  that  justify  their  existence — the  “Meetings  Com- 
mittee”? 


What  the  Work  of  the  Committee  Is  Not 

Certainly  it  is  not  haphazard,  loose-edged,  lack-a-daisical ; 
following  always  the  lines  of  least  resistance;  picking  up  any 
stray  subject  that  may  blow  along  and  finding  some  one  who 
is  more  willing  than  capable  to  lead  that  meeting;  prevailing 
upon  some  bored  girl  to  get  up  and  read  a paper  on  “just 
anything  she  wants  to;”  nor  depending  always  upon  out- 
side “stars”  to  draw  a crowd  from  curiosity  alone.  An 
artist  when  he  starts  to  paint  a picture  might  as  well  pay 
no  attention  to  subject  or  line  or  color,  but  think  as  he  wan- 
ders up  to  the  canvas,  “I’ll  draw  an  old  fashioned  girl  here 
and  an  airship  there,  a submarine  and  a circus  yonder,  and  a 
snow  storm  and  violets  in  this  comer.  This  is  a pretty 
color — I’ll  just  splash  some  of  it  on,  and  I do  like  curved 
lines,  so  I’ll  draw  a few,  and  green  is  popular  this  season  so 
I’ll  scatter  that  around  promiscuously!”  Or  a group  of  au- 
thorities responsible  for  the  whole  question  of  the  curricu- 
lum for  a new  college,  might  as  well  say,  “War  is  a popular 
subject  of  thought,  we’ll  have  some  work  on  war;  and  people 

4 


are  always  interested  in  music,  we’ll  have  plenty  of  music; 
and  athletics — we  must  have  athletics  or  nobody  will  come  to 
school  here ; and  a library — every  college  has  a library,  so  we 
must  have  one,  too.”  Nonsense!  The  artist  chooses  a sub- 
ject and  makes  every  line  and  every  tint,  every  bit  of  shadow 
and  light,  add  to  the  whole  effect  he  plans  to  produce.  And 
the  college  builders  make  a program  with  balance  carefully 
planned  to  give  a student  firm  foundations  for  life.  Just  so 
guardedly,  judicially,  comprehensively,  constructively, 
thoughtfully,  ought  the  Religious  Meetings  Committee  to 
plan  and  work. 

Primary  Work  of  the  Committee 

First,  last  and  all  the  time  the  committee  is  to  think.  If  we 
as  a group  are  to  help  make  real  in  life  the  purpose  of  the 
Association,  what  is  that  purpose,  clause  by  clause?  We 
must  work  our  way  through  it,  thought  by  thought,  until 
it  comes  into  terms  of  our  own  campus. 

What  can  the  Meetings  Committee  do  to  make  such  a pur- 
pose a living  thing  in  the  life  of  the  college? 

What  are  our  actual  campus  conditions?  Do  girls  connect 
religion  with  the  way  we  live?  Does  religion  make  a dif- 
ference? Do  we  know  what  we  believe  and  why?  Or  have 
most  of  us  shut  up  childish  conceptions  of  religion  into 
watertight  compartments  of  otherwise  open  minds?  Do 
some  girls  think  themselves  too  “progressive”  to  be  relig- 
ious? How  many  are  trying  to  substitute  social  service  for 
religion?  Are  girls  indifferent  to  the  ordinary  appeals  for 
becoming  Christians?  Why?  Are  we  formal  Christians,  or 
radiating  Christians? 

Such  thinking  as  this  is  very  much  enlightened  by  going 
out  into  the  highways  and  hedges  of  the  campus  and  frankly 
asking  all  sorts  of  “uninterested”  girls  just  why  the  meet- 
ings as  they  are  do  not  interest  them.  When  they  find  that 

5 


the  purpose  of  the  asking  is  not  to  preach  to  them,  but  to 
get  honest  information,  they  will  be  honest.  A frank,  square, 
personal  “truth”  discussion  in  cabinet  and  committees  on 
the  present  type  of  meetings  may  also  bring  many  things 
to  light. 


Blocking  Out  the  Year 

Having  discovered  honest  opinions  and  actual  conditions, 
how  shall  we  build  up  a year’s  program  to  combine  the 
things  that  naturally  have  to  come  into  the  consideration  of 
any  Association  with  the  things  that  have  been  found  to  need 
emphasis  on  the  particular  campus?  It  can  be  done,  with 
clear  thinking,  a calendar,  and  diagrams.  Suppose  the  meet- 
ings come  on  Wednesday.  Suppose  college  begins  the  third 
week  in  September  and  closes  the  second  week  in  June. 
Omitting  Wednesdays  lost  in  vacations  and  holidays,  that 
leaves  at  the  most,  thirty-five  meetings  to  plan  for  through- 
out the  year.  One  of  those  will  probably  be  needed  to  ex- 
plain the  Association  to  new  girls,  one  to  present  the  Vol- 
untary Study  program,  one  for  the  week  of  prayer,  one  on 
the  summer  conference,  one  each  for  Thanksgiving,  Christ- 
mas, and  the  New  Year,  one,  if  not  a series,  for  Easter,  and 
one  senior  meeting.  To-day  when  there  is  an  awakening 
realization  of  the  place  of  the  church  in  the  life  of  the  pres- 
ent day  world,  of  course  at  least  one  meeting  should  be  spent 
in  considering  the  questions  that  bother  college  girls,  or 
that  ought  to  bother  them,  along  the  line  of  what  their  place 
is  in  such  a movement.  At  least  eight  should  go  to  the 
working  of  the  Kingdom  to-day  in  other  lands.  And  others 
will  be  taken  as  a matter  of  course  according  to  tradition  on 
the  local  campus.  That  would  leave  eighteen  for  the  spe- 
cific needs  of  the  women  of  any  particular  college.* 


•See  leaflet  on  "World  Fellowship,"  listed  on  last  cover  for 
material  for  meetings  on  world-wide  interests. 

6 


Precious  little  time  that,  when  you  remember  that  in  no 
meeting  will  the  speaker  have  over  one-half  hour,  frequently 
less,  for  the  actual  presentation  of  the  things  that  ought  to 
change  lives  and  bring  in  the  Kingdom  upon  that  campus! 
Nine  short  hours  at  the  most!  That  means  two  things:  that 
if  the  purpose  of  the  Association,  which  goes  to  the  very 
foundation  of  life,  is  to  be  made  livable  in  any  way  through 
the  regular  meetings,  every  one  of  those  half  hours  must  be 
planned  for  jealously;  and  it  means,  too,  that  every  one  of 
the  meetings  seemingly  unrelated  to  the  whole,  yet  provided 
for  by  accident  of  the  calendar,  must  through  the  interpre- 
tation given  to  it  by  the  leader  be  made  to  fit  into  the  build- 
ing up  of  the  whole.  Every  meeting  must  count.  Not  that 
every  one  shall  be  a “sermon”  in  the  accepted  use  of  that  term, 
but  that  every  one  shall  arrive  somewhere  worth  arriving  at, 
on  the  road  that  leads  toward  the  goal  of  the  year. 

What  to  emphasize  in  any  particular  college  must  be  de- 
termined by  the  “peculiar  conditions”  of  the  college.  If  the 
students  “have  gone  social  service  mad,”  the  Association  can 
well  put  its  emphasis  on  the  fundamental  Christian  spirit  back 
of  such  service,  and  the  need  for  the  individual  server  to  be 
able  to  give  something  more  than  just  things  to  needy  peo- 
ple. If,  however,  the  whole  college  and  community  empha- 
sis has  been  upon  personal  religion  and  getting  one’s  self 
“saved,”  then  the  Association  needs  to  supplement  with  an 
interpretation  of  what  Jesus  taught  as  to  “loving  one’s 
neighbor  as  well  as  one’s  self,”  seeing  that  be  he  “rich  man, 
poor  man,  beggar  man,  thief,”  factory  hand,  sweat  shop 
child,  southern  mountaineer,  Alaskan,  or  a native  of  the  in- 
nermost province  of  China,  he  has  the  chance  to  “get 
saved,”  too.  In  such  a college,  it  is  needful  to  put  in  a lot 
of  work  upon  the  actual  translating  into  campus  terms  of 
one’s  personal  religion  so  that  it  will  make  a difference  in 
the  kind  of  room-mate  one  is,  the  kind  of  class  room  work 
one  does,  the  kind  of  popularity  one  has,  etc. 

7 


The  conception  that  God  can  enter  into  a college  girl’s 
life  with  power  and  actually  work  through  her  in  natural 
ways  is  foreign  to  many  a girl  who  has  talked  words 
about  it  all  her  life.  And  the  idea  of  God  himself  is  in  many 
cases  hopelessly  without  foundation  and  foreign  to  the  con- 
ception that  Jesus  Christ  came  to  give.  God  must  be 
brought  into  the  language  of  students  so  that  they  can  feel 
acquainted  with  Him,  instead  of  his  seeming  vaguely  far 
off  where  many-syllabled  theological  terms  have  left  Him. 
And  they  must  see  that  He  is  a reasonable  God,  one  in  whom 
a student  can  believe  without  insulting  her  mind.  Prayer 
must  be  recognized  as  a power  instead  of  a formula,  and  life 
a powerful  thing  that  has  God  at  the  heart  of  it  instead  of  a 
detached,  irresponsible  or  selfish  drifting. 

Perhaps  a series  would  be  possible  in  which  some  one 
who  knows  both  God  and  students,  will  clear  up  many  things 
about  the  kind  of  God  Jesus  Christ  revealed;  the  kind  of 
living  book  the  Bible  is,  in  which  we  can  find  the  answers  to 
live  problems  to-day  in  ways  that  our  intelligences  can  ap- 
prove; the  kind  of  force  prayer  is  and  can  be,  etc.  In  short, 
perhaps  some  one  could  be  found  to  take  students  through 
their  thought-ways  into  the  clear  light  of  a living  faith  that 
will  make  a difference  in  what  they  are  and  what  they  do 
every  day. 

Perhaps  the  need  is  to  start  students  to  thinking  definitely 
about  becoming  Christians,  and  single  meetings  or  series 
could  be  planned  with  that  in  mind,  taking  up  what  it  means 
to  be  a Christian  and  exactly  how  to  go  about  it.  Perhaps 
there  is  need  of  helping  them  to  think  toward  a sane  and 
right  choice  of  where  and  in  what  kind  of  work  their  lives 
shall  be  spent,  and  so  there  is  opportunity  for  a “Vocational 
Series”  or  “Life  Work”  meetings.  Perhaps  there  is  some 
vital  need  of  changing  conditions  on  the  campus  through  a 
steady  campaign  for  the  right  kind  of  public  opinion,  and  it 
could  be  met  by  meetings.  Perhaps  there  is  need  to  turn 

8 


the  regular  meeting  of  the  Christian  Association  into  an 
open  forum  for  discussion  of  burning  questions  that  have 
to  do  with  the  coming  of  the  Kingdom  of  righteousness  in 
the  modern  world.  Perhaps  the  need  is  great  that  the  stu- 
dents should  learn  the  habit  of  reverence  in  religious  meet- 
ings, and  the  Association  is  the  place  to  cultivate  that,  both 
by  discussing  the  subject  openly  and  by  living  it  out. 

A real  preparation  for  spending  Christmas  in  the  spirit 
in  which  Jesus  came  to  live  in  the  world  is  a very  vital  con- 
tribution to  the  whole  living  out  of  the  purpose  of  any  As- 
sociation. And  a real  preparation  for  Easter  can  mean  new 
life.  Even  the  reporting  of  a summer  or  sectional  confer- 
ence can  build  up  toward  the  whole,  because  of  the  deeper 
underlying  spirit  of  such  conferences,  which  exist  to  give 
girls  a grasp  on  life  and  such  work  as  they  have  never  had 
before.  Whatever  the  subject  chosen  as  most  important  for 
any  meeting,  it  must  fit  into  the  whole  and  do  something. 

With  the  whole  year’s  program  planned  to  meet  the 
needs  of  many  kinds  of  girls,  single  meetings  should  in  min- 
iature seek  to  do  the  same  things.  The  girl  who  wants  to 
worship  quietly,  the  one  who  can  worship  best  in  song,  the 
others  who  want  to  hear  something  worth  working  on  in 
their  lives,  and  often  enough  that  girl  also,  who  is  so  full  of 
something  worth  telling  that  she  must  have  a chance  to  pass 
it  on, — all  these  should  the  Association  meetings  plan  to  meet 
on  their  own  ground. 


Policy 

With  all  this  in  mind,  how  can  we  get  it  into  usable  shape 
in  order  not  to  leave  some  edges  ragged  while  finishing 
others?  That  is  what  the  “policy”  is  for:  to  get  into  concise 
form  the  things  the  committee  sets  out  to  do,  and  to  use  it 
thereafter  as  a measure,  a pattern  throughout  the  year,  to 
be  sure  it  is  keeping  to  the  standard  it  has  set  for  itself. 
Many  so-called  policies  are  lifeless  because  they  are  worked 

9 


out  by  the  chairman  and  handed  over  to  the  committee  to 
carry  out  instead  of  being  worked  out  point  by  point  by  the 
committee  members  themselves,  and  voluntarily  adopted  with 
eyes  wide  open  as  to  all  they  are  committing  themselves  to. 
Or  the  policy  is  copied  bodily  from  last  year’s,  empty  of  per- 
sonal interest  or  responsibility  self-assumed.  The  more 
members  working  out  an  original  policy,  the  more  who  will 
afterwards  work  at  it. 

Leaders 

Because  a girl  is  “always  willing  to  do  what  she  can”  is  no 
sign  that  she  is  the  best  one  to  lead  a meeting!  Or  because 
a girl  is  hard  to  get  is  no  reason  for  giving  her  up  after 
the  first  trial.  Perhaps  she  sees  no  reason  to  lead  a meet- 
ing; perhaps  she  never  has,  and  thinks  she  never  could. 
Perhaps  she  is  shy  and  needs  just  that  to  draw  her  out  of 
herself.  Or  she  is  “too  busy”  because  no  one  has  made  her 
see  for  herself  what  it  might  count  for  if  she  were  to  put 
in  a fair  amount  of  time  on  that  particular  vital  subject, 
and  later  share  with  other  girls  the  thrill  of  what  she  has 
discovered.  Or  she  thinks  she  would  have  to  “do  it  just  like 
some  one  else.”  Or  “she  can’t  preach.”  Or  she  hasn’t  time 
to  look  up  all  the  material  necessary  but  would  be  glad  to 
do  it  if  she  were  given  a card  catalogue  list  of  the  material 
available  on  that  particular  subject  in  the  college  library, 
so  she  could  be  sure  of  having  enough  real  things  to  say.  Or 
the  wrong  subject  was  suggested  to  her,  something  upon 
which  she  never  would  be  interested,  while  maybe  the  very 
next  one  would  be  thrilling  to  her  in  its  possibilities.  It 
would  be  well  after  choosing  which  meetings  of  the  year 
could  best  be  handled  by  students  and  which  students  could 
probably  do  them  best,  regardless  of  whether  they  have  ever 
spoken  in  public  religious  meetings  before,  to  go  over  all 
the  excuses  possible  for  any  student  to  make,  and  find  out 
how  many  of  them  are  well  founded  and  how  to  meet  each 
excuse  or  objection  honestly.  When  a girl  knows  that  she  is 

10 


asked  to  lead  a meeting  that  is  meant  actually  to  accomplish 
something  worth  while,  she  is  much  readier  to  work  at  it 
than  if  she  thinks  it  doesn’t  make  much  difference  whether 
she  does  it  or  not.  And  if  a girl  has  been  chosen  wisely 
with  the  whole  year’s  program  in  mind  and  knows  that 
people  believe  she  can  do  the  big  thing  they  ask  of  her,  and 
have  given  of  their  best  in  the  way  of  preparation,  she  finds 
it  hard  to  resist  doing  her  best  in  response. 

As  to  the  number  of  faculty  and  outside  leaders,  that  al- 
ways depends  upon  the  particular  college.  But  we  should 
never  lose  sight  of  the  fact  that  it  is  a student  organization, 
and  as  such  should  be  wide-awake  to  the  development  of 
student  leadership  in  meetings  as  well  as  in  other  work. 

Sometimes  a girl  who  could  not  speak  well  to  begin  with 
can  learn  to  preside  at  a meeting  acceptably  with  some  one 
else  to  speak.  Where  it  can  be  arranged  both  types  of  girls 
should  have  their  opportunity. 

Undergraduate  leaders  often  make  the  mistake  of  try- 
ing to  speak  on  subjects  which  are  far  beyond  them  without 
adequate  preparation  for  such  speaking.  Or  they  introduce 
a first  cousin  of  a graduating  essay  on  some  abstract  theme 
and  wonder  that  the  hearers  are  not  enthralled.  Or  they 
try  to  talk  always  out  of  the  same  old  “experience”  with- 
out seeking  to  grow  in  the  meantime.  If  they  have  been 
reading  or  thinking  much  along  lines  that  have  vital  con- 
nection with  life,  whether  life  in  the  dormitory,  in  the  class- 
room, on  the  campus,  at  home,  in  cities,  mountains,  in  the 
country,  or  across  the  seas,  and  if  they  are  coming  to  be- 
lieve something  so  absolutely  that  it  makes  a difference  in 
their  own  thinking  and  willing  and  living,  then  they  have 
something  to  say  to  other  students.  Not  that  any  speaker 
has  “already  attained,”  but  every  one  should  be  honestly 
“pressing  forward”  along  the  line  of  which  she  speaks.  A 
girl  can  never  carry  much  weight  with  what  she  says,  unless 
it  means  something  real  to  her  own  life. 

11 


Publicity 

Next,  how  are  we  to  get  people  to  our  meetings  to  hear 
what  has  been  worked  out  for  them?  Too  often  the  attend- 
ance is  monotonously  made  up  of  the  same  old  people  from 
month  to  month  and  year  to  year.  If  one  of  the  “other 
kind”  should  appear  at  a meeting,  it  would  be  the  talk  of  the 
campus!  And  the  reason  the  Association  in  so  many  col- 
leges remains  confined  to  the  people  who  need  it  least  is 
not  that  the  type  of  student  who  would  rather  go  for  a 
tramp  than  a prayer  meeting  is  degenerate,  but — poor  ad- 
vertising! “It  pays  to  advertise”  is  a truth  to  which  multi- 
tudes are  just  opening  their  eyes  to-day.  And  if  a cause  is 
one  that  can  be  promoted  honestly,  because  of  its  ultimate 
goal,  then  the  more  effective  methods  of  advertising,  the 
more  quickly  and  surely  will  the  public  respond.  There  is 
no  intelligent  reason  for  presenting  the  biggest,  most  chal- 
lenging, most  irresistible  proposition  in  the  world  in  clothing 
that  fails  to  interest  the  very  people  for  whom  it  is  intended. 
For  instance,  the  girl  in  college  who  is  wasting  her  oppor- 
tunity for  living  most  fully  is  the  very  one  who  would  never 
stop  running,  from  a meeting  blatantly  advertised  as  on  the 
subject  of  “opportunity!”  To  the  girl  who  has  not  yet 
thought  her  way  into  following  Jesus  Christ,  words  like 
“opportunity,”  and  “responsibility,”  and  “spirituality”  are 
alive  with  discomfort;  and  never  voluntarily  will  she  go 
where  they  can  get  at  her.  She  has  been  “preached  at”  too 
much  already.  The  idea  in  such  words  is  all  right  but  be- 
fore she  will  listen  interestedly  to  them,  before  they  will 
appear  tangible  to  her,  they  will  have  to  speak  her  own 
language. 

Therefore,  once  the  subjects  have  been  chosen  for  the 
year’s  program  comes  the  most  important  task  of  wording 
them.  Not  sensational  words  should  be  used,  but  live 
words,  words  that  have  some  “pep”  to  them,  some  “go,” 
some  power;  words  that  the  uninterested  girl  has  never 

12 


thought  of  in  connection  with  that  vague  thing  called  “re- 
ligion”; words  that  will  catch  in  her  mind  when  she  hears 
the  announcement  read  in  the  dining  room,  or  at  chapel,  or 
sees  the  subject  on  the  bulletin  board;  interesting  words — 
for  words  in  themselves  can  be  interesting  or  deadly  dull; 
words  that  point  a finger  straight  at  the  girl  herself  or  at 
one  of  her  interests.  Get  the  brightest,  most  interesting 
girl  in  school  to  work  on  those  subjects  and  see  what  hap- 
pens. 

Samples  of  both  colorless  and  catchy  ways  of  wording  sub- 
jects: 

University  Obligations — My  Debts  (or  Oughts). 

Value  of  Solitude — The  Silent  Places. 

Self-Expression — Translating  Myself. 

Use  of  Scriptures — A Text  Book  on  Every  Day  Living  or 
Have  You  Studied  Your  Text  Book? 

The  posters  are  just  as  vital  as  the  wording  of  the  sub- 
jects, because  they  often  catch  the  eye  at  a distance  too 
great  to  read,  and  fail  either  to  “register”  or  to  hook  into 
the  interest  of  the  passerby.  They  need  not  be  always 
“hand  made”  in  the  sense  of  being  painted  by  a student 
from  the  art  school,  but  they  do  need  to  be  live,  catchy.  A 
girl  who  is  clever  with  her  fingers  and  her  imagination  can 
make  fascinating  advertising  material,  although  she  may 
not  be  able  to  draw  a straight  line.  And  the  poster  must 
catch  in  the  minds  of  the  passers-by  to  create  their  first 
voluntary  impulse  to  go  to  the  meeting  advertised.  We 
must  have  posters  with  life  in  them,  and  motion,  and  hu- 
man interests — not  merely  conventional  designs,  not  flowers 
or  fruit  or  leaves — posters  that  prick  the  imagination,  that 
are  irresistible  in  themselves.  When  and  where  the  posters 
appear,  too,  make  a world  of  difference.  Sometimes  they 
are  up  so  long  before  hand  that  they  lose  all  interest  by  the 
time  of  the  meeting.  Sometimes  they  are  too  late  to  per- 
meate the  consciousness  of  the  student  body.  And  some- 
times they  are  shabby  in  form,  so  lacking  in  neatness  that 

13 


no  self  respecting  person  wants  to  be  connected  with  such 
a careless  organization ! The  regular  appearance  of  the 
poster  each  week  can  be  made  an  event  looked  forward  to 
by  the  college  students  who  revel  in  fresh  and  interesting 
things.  It  has  been  done  in  some  campuses.  Is  it  true  of 
yours? 

For  special  emphasis  on  a particular  meeting  or  series, 
a printed  or  hand  written  post  card,  or  an  attractive  and 
unusual  letter  folder  or  “dodger”  in  one’s  mail  box  some- 
times strikes  into  one’s  attention  better  than  a general  an- 
nouncement. 

If  the  program  is  made  out  by  the  semester,  or  by  the  year, 
is  it  a good  plan  to  have  it  printed  on  a “topic  card”?  Which 
weighs  more  on  your  campus,  the  business-likeness  of  such 
a card  or  the  element  of  surprise  when  each  meeting  is 
kept  secret  until  the  psychological  moment  to  advertise  it 
by  itself,  to  catch  people’s  attention  and  get  them  there?  If 
you  do  have  the  topic  card  is  it  good  psychology  to  have 
merely  the  name  of  the  speaker  and  the  date?  Is  that  par- 
ticularly interesting  or  enticing? 

And  of  all  mistreated  opportunities,  perhaps  the  most  de- 
plorable is  the  space  given  Association  write-ups  in  some 
college  papers! — stupid  reports  of  things  past,  that  no  one 
cares  to  read;  write-ups  of  speeches  that  people  never  would 
recognize  as  their  own;  and  colorless  or  pointless  things 
written  in  the  spirit  of  “have  to  because  we  have  the  space, 
and  we  must  fill  it  up!”  When  one  stops  to  think  of  the 
endless  possibilities  in  one  small  section  of  space  in  a col- 
lege paper  if  intelligently  used  to  accomplish  something  for 
the  Kingdom  of  right  things,  the  failure  to  use  that  space 
powerfully  is  tragic.  A single  sentence  that  would  catch 
in  some  reader’s  consciousness  and  make  a difference  later, 
is  worth  more  than  a whole  paragraph  of  gray,  uninter- 
esting remarks.  And  the  reason  many  students  don’t  care 

14 


to  go  to  religious  meetings  may  well  be  the  stupid  way  in 
which  they  are  habitually  written  up. 

Beyond  the  mechanical  means  of  printed  and  spoken  an- 
nouncements to  draw  folks  to  what  has  been  planned  for 
them,  lies  the  still  more  vital  means  of  personal  interest  in 
whether  a girl  goes  or  not.  Merely  inviting  a girl  to  a 
meeting  is  not  the  point.  It  may  be  the  very  thing  that  keeps 
her  away,  if  it  is  not  done  in  the  right  way!  The  girl  who 
is  wanted  most  at  any  particular  meeting,  the  kind  of  girl 
for  whom  the  meeting  has  been  planned,  may  be  the  very 
one  who  will  not  come  if  people  appear  too  piously  inter- 
ested in  getting  her  there.  If  some  one  says  impressively, 
“Now  you  will  be  sure  to  come  to  the  meeting,  won’t  you?” 
she  will  in  all  probability  feel  like  doing  anything  else, — 
that  is,  if  she  has  any  reason  to  feel  that  the  “religious  peo- 
ple” of  the  school  are  “after  her”.  But  if  some  one  who  has 
been  with  her  normally  in  common  interests  in  other  things 
asks  her  to  come  to  a particular  meeting  in  the  same  in- 
terested way  in  which  she  would  ask  her  about  going  to  see 
a tennis  tournament,  it  is  much  more  likely  to  result  in  her 
being  “sure  to  be  there”. 

Building  an  Actual  Meeting 

What  is  the  best  time  to  hold  a meeting  so  that  it  will 
reach  the  greatest  number  of  girls?  Is  the  time  you  are 
accustomed  to  just  accepted  from  precedent,  or  would  it  be 
possible  to  find  a better  one.  In  case  the  Sunday  services 
already  provided  are  sufficient,  it  is  usually  wiser  to  put  the 
time  for  the  Association  meeting  somewhere  in  the  week  on 
a day  that  has  a comparatively  light  schedule.  Why  crowd 
Sunday? 

A growing  number  of  colleges  that  have  many  town  stu- 
dents are  giving  one  chapel  period  a week  for  the  students 
to  have  their  Association  meetings.  If  the  chapel  time  is 

15 


long  enough,  and  if  the  students  are  not  required  to  attend 
the  Association  meeting,  that  works  very  well  in  the  solu- 
tion of  the  joint  meeting  of  town  and  boarding  students. 

The  actual  condition  of  the  meeting  place  needs  study,  to 
be  sure  that  it  is  best  for  the  purpose.  Is  its  location  on 
the  campus  convenient  to  the  majority  of  students?  Is  the 
room  so  little  as  to  be  crowded  to  the  extent  of  discomfort, 
or  is  it  so  big  that  the  few  who  come  rattle  around  in  it? 
Which  way  are  the  seats  facing, — toward  the  door,  so  that 
each  late  comer  disturbs  the  whole  group?  Is  there  a strong 
light  back  of  the  speaker,  that  strains  all  eyes  looking  that 
way,  or  has  the  lighting  even  been  considered?  Is  some  one 
delegated  to  have  as  her  sole  responsibility  in  life  the  keep- 
ing of  the  room  well  ventilated,  both  before  and  during  the 
actual  meeting,  or  can  people  nod  along,  discouraging  the 
leader,  not  because  they  are  not  interested,  but  because  they 
are  literally  put  to  sleep  by  warm,  bad  air?  The  official 
“ventilator”  on  the  Meetings’  Committee  ought,  of  course, 
to  be  a “fresh  air  fiend,”  so  she  will  know  when  the  air  is 
bad,  and  know  it  is  her  business  to  act  immediately  and  with 
authority. 

Does  the  meeting  from  the  very  beginning  give  onlookers 
the  impression  of  having  been  carefully  prepared  for,  or  is 
it  ragged,  with  all  sorts  of  obvious  loose  ends?  Are  the 
song  books  and  the  chairs  and  the  windows  and  the  pianist 
and  the  leaders  always  in  their  places  at  the  proper  instant, 
so  that  precious  minutes  need  not  be  wasted  in  scurrying 
around  to  get  them  ready  in  the  presence  of  waiting  people? 
Is  the  violin  tuned  with  the  piano  before  people  come,  so 
that  that  painful  process  need  not  be  gone  through  with 
at  the  wrong  moment?  And  if  there  are  both  a leader  and 
a speaker  for  the  meeting,  are  their  consultations  always 
held  before  the  meeting  is  opened  in  order  that  they  need 
not  distract  attention  by  whispering  together  during  the 
progress  of  the  program?  Absolute  preparedness  should  be 

16 


one  of  the  slogans  of  the  whole  meetings’  staff,  both  of  those 
who  prepare  the  program  and  those  who  carry  it  out,  even 
to  the  smallest  detail. 

A meeting  usually  begins  with  music.  Why?  Is  it  to  be 
used  to  cover  up  the  noise  as  late  comers  arrive?  To  pass 
away  some  pleasant  time  in  waiting?  Or  has  it  a purpose? 
And  if  it  has  a purpose,  is  that  purpose  filled  by  the  kind 
of  songs  that  many  Associations  persist  in  singing — so- 
called  “hymns”  that  sound  like  dance  tunes,  and  that  have 
for  their  words  sheer  selfishness  in  doggerel  form?  Thoughts 
of  my  getting  to  heaven,  and  of  rest  always  in  connection 
with  religion,  are  tremendously  bad  psychology  for  young 
people.  As  young  Christians,  starting  out  to  win  the  world 
to  the  principles  of  Jesus  Christ,  there  ought  not  to  be 
much  room  in  our  hymn-thinking  for  simply  “a  home  over 
there”,  for  “me  and  my  wife,  my  son  John  and  his  wife, 
us  four  and  no  more!”  Nor  of  eternal  rest!  What  we  need 
is  to  be  at  work,  and  to  leave  the  thoughts  of  eternal  rest 
to  those  who  have  already  worn  their  bodies  out  in  working 
for  the  Kingdom!  Shall  the  songs  we  sing  in  our  meet- 
ings mean  something  in  their  words  and  music,  something 
that  will  work  toward  the  fulfilling  of  our  purpose,  and 
toward  rounding  out  the  subject  of  that  particular  meet- 
ing? Does  the  song  book  that  you  use  have  that  kind  of 
songs  in  it?  Or  have  you  never  found  them?  Many  and 
many  a wonderful  hymn  lies  buried  in  our  hymn  books  if 
they  are  the  right  kind  of  books.*  But  many  of  us  don’t  take 
the  trouble  to  hunt  them  out  and  sing  them  till  they  become 
a part  of  our  very  being.  It  “saves  time”  to  sing  the  old 
familiar  ones  that  are  so  entirely  a matter  of  habit  that  the 
words  roll  off  our  tongues  without  ever  a thought  paid  to 
what  we  sing.  Is  that  what  music  is  for,  in  a service  that 
has  to  do  with  God? 

•‘‘Fellowship  Hymns,”  45  cents,  and  the  5-cent  leaflet  of  “Associa- 
tion Music,”  both  of  which  may  be  ordered  from  the  Publica- 
tion Department  of  the  National  Board,  are  recommended  in 
this  connection. 


17 


And  why  have  “special  music”?  Merely  for  the  sake  of 
advertising,  to  wheedle  more  people  into  coming?  Or  is  it 
to  add  something  definite  to  the  building  up  of  a perfect 
meeting  connected  with  the  coming  of  the  Kingdom  into 
life?  It  has  been  known  to  occur  that  in  the  midst  of  a 
meeting  apparently  for  worship  and  thinking  along  lines 
that  count  most,  a piece  of  “special”  music  with  absolutely 
no  point  to  it,  sometimes  a “love  song,”  attractive  enough 
in  itself  but  entirely  unrelated  to  the  subject,  has  been 
thrust  in  with  as  much  appropriateness  as  planting  a grow- 
ing flower  in  a loaf  of  bread!  Why  have  special  music  un- 
less it  “belongs”? 

And  how  much  thinking  have  you  done  about  the  “scrip- 
ture reading”?  Must  it  always  be  a whole  chapter,  or  even 
a whole  verse,  if  a part  of  it  given  alone  would  stick  better 
in  the  hearers’  minds?  If  the  Bible  is  read  at  all,  it  ought 
to  accomplish  something  in  a meeting.  And  what  is  read, 
and  where  it  comes  in  the  service,  depend  upon  what  is  to 
be  accomplished  by  that  particular  meeting,  and  should  be 
very  carefully  worked  out  with  that  in  mind.  Often  the 
girl  who  is  to  read  the  “scriptures”  hastily  picks  up  her 
favorite  psalm,  or  a bit  from  the  fourteenth  chapter  of 
John,  or  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  or  a well  known  passage 
from  Isaiah,  with  no  thought  at  all  of  the  subject  of  the 
meeting.  And  many  a reading  misses  its  mark  because  the 
reader  has  not  gone  over  it  beforehand  to  be  sure  she  knows 
how  to  bring  out  what  she  reads  from  the  realm  of  gray, 
monotonous,  toneless  words,  to  living,  breathing  life.  Often- 
times, too,  if  the  passage  is  a well-known  one,  it  will  stimu- 
late fresh  thinking  in  the  hearers’  minds  if  it  is  read  not 
from  the  older  versions,  but  from  a newer  translation*  that 


•For  example,  the  Weymouth  translation  of  "The  New  Testament 
in  Modern  Speech,”  which  may  be  ordered  through  the 
National  Publication  Department;  65  cents  to  $1.75. 

18 


puts  old  truths  in  new  ways.  But  whatever  the  Bible 
reading,  every  word  of  it  ought  to  count. 

Prayer.  What  does  that  word  mean  in  your  meetings? 
What  does  it  accomplish?  Do  all  types  of  girls  find  satis- 
faction in  the  prayer  parts  of  the  Association  meetings? 
For  the  girl  who  thinks  only  in  terms  of  the  prayer  book, 
are  the  prayers  most  familiar  to  her  ever  used?  The  girl 
who  prays  best  in  the  silence,  is  she  provided  for?  The  girl 
who  likes  to  pray  aloud  as  simply  as  a little  child,  has  she 
the  opportunity?  Not  that  all  can  be  provided  for  at  every 
meeting,  but  if  the  committee  can  find  out  what  many  girls 
think  and  feel  about  the  use  of  prayer,  their  needs  can  be 
better  met.  Are  people  habitually  called  upon  to  pray  with- 
out warning  in  meetings, — made  suddenly  to  pray  aloud 
whether  they  are  ready  or  not?  And  how  much  thought 
has  been  given  to  training  girls  in  social  prayer,  a gather- 
ing up  of  group  needs  and  thanksgivings  and  interests  in  a 
single  voice  for  the  sake  of  all. 

When  do  the  announcements  come?  Just  when  the  meet- 
ing has  been  impressively  finished,  or  right  on  top  of  a 
wonderful  hymn?  How  much  thought  has  been  put  into 
locating  the  announcements  in  such  a place  in  the  program 
as  to  jar  least  upon  the  beauty  of  the  whole,  and  to  the  plan- 
ning of  the  announcements  themselves  so  that  they  may  fit 
smoothly  into  the  whole  instead  of  being  the  kind  that  would 
jar? 

What  about  the  variety  in  the  order  of  service?  Must  there 
of  necessity  be  a song  and  a scripture  reading,  a prayer,  an- 
other song,  then  the  speech,  a closing  song  and  the  benedic- 
tion? Is  it  always  so  nearly  the  same  that  girls  can  refuse 
to  go,  saying  they  “know  exactly  what  will  happen  anyway”  ? 
True,  every  meeting  ought  to  be  so  carefully  planned  that 
it  balances  well,  with  music  and  prayer  and  thinking  to- 
gether under  the  leadership  of  one  or  more;  but  the  arrange- 

19 


ment  can  be  so  different,  varying  with  the  subject  or  the 
leaders,  that  no  one  can  ever  proclaim  that  she  “knows  ex- 
actly what’s  coming.”  There  ought  always  to  be  some  ele- 
ment of  the  unexpected  in  the  service  somewhere,  some- 
thing that  belongs  to  that  particular  meeting  alone. 

What  happens  when  the  speaker  has  finished  and  the 
leader  closes  the  meeting?  Is  it  good  taste  to  comment  on 
“the  message”  then  and  there?  Doesn’t  it  often  break  into 
the  very  thinking  that  the  speaker  meant  for  the  listeners 
to  be  doing  for  themselves?  And  even  if  a closing  hymn 
has  been  on  the  program,  is  it  always  necessary?  Isn’t  it 
sometimes  more  effective  at  the  end  of  a tremendous  pre- 
sentation for  the  audience  to  sit  in  silence  for  a few  minutes 
and  think,  and  then  be  allowed  to  go  out  quietly?  Little 
thought,  apparently,  has  been  spent  on  such  closing  mo- 
ments. How  shall  we  send  people  out  with  the  power  of 
the  meeting  conserved  instead  of  scattered?  Is  the  bene- 
diction that  you  use  a mere  form  or  is  it  as  carefully  planned 
as  the  rest  of  the  meeting?  Have  you  used  the  Mizpah  bene- 
diction, for  instance,  without  ever  taking  the  trouble  to  look 
up  its  origin  to  see  whether  it  “fits”?  Has  your  choir  or 
quartet  been  trained  to  sing  perfectly  a quiet,  or  challeng- 
ing, or  triumphant  benediction,  sometimes  a fitting  stanza 
of  a hymn?  Possibly  some  girl  has  written  a prayer  that 
means  much  because  it  has  come  out  of  your  own  midst; 
possibly  there  may  be  a prayer  from  the  New  Testament; 
possibly  silence  in  which  all  pray  together;  but  whatever  the 
closing  moments  are  like  they  must  be  as  carefully  planned 
as  any  part  of  the  service. 

Members  of  the  audience  often  seem  to  feel  uncomfortable 
unless  they  say  to  the  speaker,  “I  certainly  did  enjoy  that 
talk!”  as  if  it  were  a party,  or  the  leader  a professional  enter- 
tainer! If  the  “talk”  accomplished  its  purpose,  it  was  not 
primarily  for  the  sake  of  entertaining  people.  And  if  it 
went  deep,  there  ought  to  be  some  way  of  expressing  one’s 

20 


appreciation  in  words  that  say  the  exact  truth.  Many  a 
leader  who  has  given  deeply  of  her  best  has  been  struck 
dumb  immediately  after  by  that  smiling,  trite,  well-mean- 
ing remark. 

“Nothing  but  meetings,”  one  hears  occasionally  in  a sar- 
castic tone.  Sometimes  it  is  justified,  that  sarcasm.  But 
need  it  ever  be?  Is  there  anything  bigger,  in  all  the  range 
of  possibilities  for  a year’s  work  than  making  the  meetings 
as  big  as  the  vast  challenge  they  present?  Study  to  find 
out  what  they  could  do,  actually  do;  work  out  a whole  year’s 
program  on  one  big  plan  to  accomplish  something  definite, 
leaving  no  ragged  edges;  and  then  build  up  each  separate 
meeting  until  it  is  a perfect  whole,  fit  to  offer  to  the  students 
who  take  their  time  to  come.  Make  every  meeting  so  un- 
failingly worth  while  that  finally  all  types  of  girls  in  the 
school  will  be  coming  in  because  they  find  there  challenge 
and  satisfaction.  And  know  in  the  doing  of  it  that  wher- 
ever Jesus  Christ  is  presented  as  He  is,  thither  will  the 
people  come  in  numbers. 

Jesus  traveled  through  all  Galilee,  teaching  . . . and 

proclaiming  the  good  news  of  the  Kingdom  . . . and  his 

fame  spread  through  all  Syria  ....  -and  great  crowds  fol- 
lowed him. 

Upon  descending  from  the  hill  country  he  was  followed  by 
great  crowds. 

Jesus  went  away  to  an  uninhabited  and  secluded  district; 
but  the  people  heard  it  and  followed  him  in  crowds. 

Jesus  went  along  by  the  Lake  of  Galilee;  and  ascending 
the  hill  he  sat  down  there.  Soon  great  crowds  came  to  him. 

Again  he  went  to  the  shore  of  the  lake,  and  the  whole  mul- 
titude kept  coming  to  him  and  he  taught  them. 

And  he  went  into  a house.  But  again  the  crowd  assem- 

21 


bled  so  that  there  was  no  opportunity  for  them  even  to 
snatch  a meal. 

A crowd  was  sitting  around  him  . ...  in  a circle. 

He  began  to  teach  by  the  side  of  the  lake  and  a vast  mul- 
titude of  people  came  together  to  listen  to  him. 


22 


PUBLICATIONS  FOR  LEADERS  OF  EIGHT  WEEK 

CLUBS 


1.  How  to  Promote  Eight  Week  Clubs  in  the  Colleges,  by 
Mabel  Stone.  5 cents. 

2.  College  Women  and  Country  Leadership,  the  study  book, 
by  Jessie  Field,  national  secretary  for  country  work.  25 
cents. 

3.  For  Leaders  of  Eight  Week  Clubs  (among  American 
girls)  by  Jessie  Field.  10  cents. 

4.  An  International  Friendship  Club  (among  foreign  girls) 
by  Edith  Terry  Bremer,  national  secretary  for  immi- 
gration and  foreign  community  work.  15  cents. 

Eight  Week  Club  Packet  containing  1,  2 and  3 or  4 (cross 
out  one  not  wanted).  40  cents. 

Texts: 

Out  of  Doors  in  the  Bible,  by  Ethel  Cutler.  A pilgrimage 
with  outdoor  people  of  both  Testaments.  Written  espe- 
cially for  summer  use.  15  cents. 

Jesus  Among  His  Friends,  by  Ethel  Cutler.  Six  stories  from 
the  life  of  Christ.  15  cents. 

Christian  Citizenship  for  Girls,  by  Helen  Thoburn.  Ten 
chapters  on  a girl’s  relation  to  home,  work,  worship, 
recreation,  friends,  etc.  25  cents. 

Note:  The  five  cent  leaflet,  “Two  Kinds  of  College  Girls,” 

containing  “little  stories”  by  Oolooah  Burner  and  Abbie 

Graham,  is  of  special  interest  to  Eight  Week  Club  leaders. 

Order  from 

Publication  Department,  National  Board  Young  Women’s 
Christian  Associations, 

600  Lexington  Avenue,  New  York  City. 


STUDENT  LEAFLETS 
For  Universities  and  Large  Colleges 
Advisory  Committee.  Bertha  Conde.  10  cents. 

Association  Membership  and  Church  Work.  Bertha  Conde. 
10  cents. 

Association  Meetings.  Oolooah  Burner.  10  cents. 
Association  News  Committee.  Edith  Dabb.  5 cents. 
Bible  Study  Committee  and  the  Voluntary  Study  Plan. 
Ethel  Cutler.  10  cents. 

Cabinet,  The.  Bertha  Conde.  5 cents. 

World  Fellowship  (for  the  Missionary  Committee).  Mar- 
garet Burton.  10  cents. 

Conferences  and  Conventions  Committee.  Louise  Brooks. 
. 5 cents. 

Finance  Committee.  Blanche  Geary.  5 cents. 

How  to  Promote  Eight  Week  Clubs.  Mabel  Stone.  5 cents. 
How  to  Realize  Our  National  Association  Membership. 
Eliza  R.  Butler.  10  cents. 

For  Colleges,  Seminaries  and  Academies 
The  first  six  leaflets  listed  above,  and  “World  Fellowship,” 
“Conferences  and  Conventions  Committee,”  “How  to  Pro- 
mote Eight  Week  Clubs,”  and  “How  to  Realize  Our  National 
Association  Membership,”  as  listed  above.  In  addition: 
Committee  Work  in  Small  Associations.  Eleanor  Rich- 
ardson. 5 cents. 

Finance  Committee  in  a School  or  College  Association. 
Edith  Helmer.  10  cents. 

Social  Service  Committee.  Eliza  R.  Butler.  5 cents. 
Year’s  Outline  for  Religious  Meetings.  Oolooah  Burner. 
10  cents. 

Note:  As  the  cost  of  each  of  these  lists  totals  $1.05,  a 

packet  of  each  will  be  sent  for  $1.00. 

Watch  The  Association  Monthly  for  announcement  of 
additional  leaflets  during  1916-17. 

Order  from 

Publication  Department 

National  Board  of  the  Young  Women’s  Christian  Associations 

600  LEXINGTON  AVENUE,  NEW  YORK 


